After painting the ceiling, work from the top down: Start with the crown molding, then do the walls and then paint the casement molding around the windows and doors. Do baseboard molding last. "Painting the baseboards last keeps dust and grit from traveling off the floor, onto the brush and then up onto the freshly painted casements," explains Weeks.

Blue is the color of calmness, productivity and masculine sophistication. Baby blue will always be a popular color choice for young boys, while different hues of cyan can be used to great effects in children's bathrooms to create an underwater mood with the right decoration. When applied to a ceiling, a light blue can conjure images of a cloudless sky and increase the sense of space. Pale and medium blues can be painted around the house to achieve a cooling effect.
My happiness is looking at my beautiful old girl. Thank you to Warren for seeing the house's potential that first day and carrying through the plan. Thank you to Sean for fixing up the worn out spots and re-creating the beautiful bits that I hadn't realized the house had! Thank you to Dave and his crew for meticulously bringing life back to the old girl. Your warmth and passion for creating it just right is why my beloved house looks SO GREAT.
Use a roller to paint the rest of the wall. A good method to use is the 'W method'. You start by painting a large 3 foot (0.91 m) square W on the wall. Then, without lifting the roller, you fill in the W. You can paint a wall section-by-section, and do the walls one at a time for best results. It's generally a good idea to use an extension pole for your roller instead of standing on a ladder. Make sure that neither the extension pole nor the roller has plastic handles, as plastic handles are flexible and this makes it difficult to control the painting.
Prep the house. Wash the walls, remove wallpaper, patch, spackle, seal stains, dry and sand before you attempt to paint. Now is also the time to apply painters tape for trimming, lay drop cloths, etc. Remove all outlet and light switch face plates, collecting screws in a zip-top bag (good opportunity to wash the face plates all at once as well). You can also buy your paint at this time. Don't wait until the last minute. It can take hours to mix many gallons of all your colors. Remember that traffic triples at your home-supply and hardware stores on weekends. Buy on a weekday if possible.
You may think you're home safe with a low- or zero-VOC paint, but once it's tinted with the universal colorants used in most paint stores, it could be anything but. On average, these colorants add about 150 grams of VOCs to a gallon; darker shades have more. To get around this, either settle for colors that are factory-mixed or look for paints with no-VOC tinting systems, such as Mythic, Freshaire Choice, or Yolo Colorhouse.
I hired Warline for a variety of interior painting projects including all interior walls, baseboards, ceiling, and a bedroom feature wall with matching furniture. Heidi is a fabulous colour consultant with an eye for perfection and timeless style. The custom stenciled bedroom feature wall with matching painted dresser is a 'stunner' that belongs in a home decor magazine. All work performed by Warline is completed with professionalism and high quality - I always believe that you get what you pay for and this company delivers on their promise.
I used to work at Sherwin Williams. The best thing to do is specify that you will purchase your own paint. If the painter objects strenuously, he was plaanning on making money in the ways this article outlines. You might pay a few dollars more for paint, but you will have control of the quality of what goes on your walls. Never skimp on paint quality.
We contracted Warline and their team for the interior painting of our new home, as Warren inspired us confidence and professionalism from the get go. We are so glad we did! Not only did they do a quality job, but they pulled it off in two short days, including prep and clean up. Warren always got back to us quickly when we had questions, and we felt like we were in good hands through the whole process. Great value for our money. Thank you!
Plan the budget. Costs will vary greatly, depending on price and quality. Choosing mid to upper-grade paint, expect to pay in the area of $350.00 in paint alone for a 2000 sq. ft. house. Add another $100 to $200 in brushes, rollers, pans, tape, and other materials. Don't forget food, if you plan to feed your workforce. When it comes to materials, not all paints are equal. Some truly cover with one coat, some say they do but don't. Your costs will double if you have to apply two coats to everything, so buying the cheaper paint might cost more in the long run. Trust your paint professional salesman (to a certain degree) to tell you which paint to buy. You can generally go cheap on primer, expensive on top coats.
You have to start with a perfectly smooth surface to end up with perfectly painted walls or woodwork. One pro tells PM that Sander would be a more fitting job title than Painter since he spends so much time pushing sandpaper. Sanding levels outs spackle or joint-compound patches and flattens ridges around nail holes. Sanding also removes burrs and rough spots in your trim.
You've got me very afraid now, I've been taken in a couple of times since I moved here. They take advantage of me because I am a single woman, not exaggerating! From gardeners to inside work. Wouldn't have house painted but I know my HOA will be after me soon, garage door is peeling and stucco needs repair. Got the $1500.00 deal, but paying more for extra work they say I need.

Excellent advice because there are many unskilled workers who are "trying to pull the wool over the customers eyes". One has to study about the project for which they are in need. I happen to need dry wall repair and painting done in my home and feel the advice in this article will be a great help to me in hiring someone who is ethical and does good work. Thanks.

It takes a lot of skill to paint French doors well and to do it within reasonable time. A painter not only has to be careful with the hinges, door knobs etc, but also be mindful of the adjoining glass surfaces. French doors and casings can cost the customer an average of $200. Please note that casings for french doors tend to be wider and sometimes ornamental.
First off all clients want a "deal" As a painting contractor for 38 years I can tell you that residential-commercial-industrial clients (and their needs are all diffrent. It seems this discussion mostly concerns residential repaints,so here goes--first off ALWAYS get a personal referance from a friend or co-worker. Always get an itemized contract that specifies the prep,color, number of coats, and specifics on payment. Remember you want to set up a relationship with the painting contractor of your choice. Bond, license and insurance are required to get a contractors license and are readily available online at your state Labor and Industries website. Second-- find someone you trust. He or his crew will probably be left alone in your home for most of the time. I always tell my clients that I wont bring someone to their home I wouldnt have in mine. Third--$$ Dont ever pay up front always insist on progress draws if the project is 2 or 3 phases remember If a contractor wants $3000 to do the job and you give him half up front he will be working for $1500. It WILL affect the quality of the product. In 38 years of business I have never taken a deposit and have never not been paid in full remember do what you said you would do for exactly what you said it would cost and there will be no problems with getting paid. one last reminder to clients you are also being evaluated when you interview a contractor. He is sizing you up as well. If he thinks you are a bit sketchy the the price will go up or he wont take the job at all. I have turned down some jobs that looked very profitable on the surface that turned out not to be so.(word gets around fast in the small painting community) Good Luck to clients and contractors

Carole, you raise an excellent point that should be included in this list. Any contractor coming on to your property should provide you with a Certificate of Insurance from his agent showing evidence of Commercial General Liability and Workers Comp. Without these protections in place, an attorney for a contractor's worker or a 3rd party injured in the course of the work on your property will name YOU in a lawsuit. It's a minor inconvenience up front to ask for this documentation compared to the cost of litigation when something goes wrong.

I have a Home Improvement/Painting business, and Angie's List always advertises that that everyone is out to get them. Of course there are people who try to take advantage of homeowners My reputation and repeat business is based on word of mouth. Shoddy work is always a way to get put out of business quick. As far as strictly painting, preparation is a big factor in getting a quality paint job. If you don't prepare the surfaces you are painting you are spinning your wheels, and wasting money, no matter what paint you use. Getting a deposit from a customer is beneficial, but not always necessary. Sometimes it is a godsend, when you get stuck by the customer, which has happened to me more than once
Before speaking to a pro, consider how many rooms you would like to paint. Ask yourself if your project will be limited to the walls of the rooms or if ceilings and trim need to be refreshed as well. Since standard equipment is used to prep a work site and apply most finishes, it's usually more economical for you to have multiple rooms painted at once.
I was searching for months for a company to paint our town home. This was a particularly sensitive subject for us since our town home was only a year old, but the paint job was beyond awful! I met with the owners Warren & Heidi and immediately I knew they were the right choice. If you are looking for high quality, perfection, amazing service, trust and a company who serves their customers needs first, Warline is definitely the only option. As a business professional myself, I would never attach my recommendation to any company that didn't meet my extremely high standards and Warline did just that!

Not only careful communication is essential, but we would greatly recommend, when you pick out your type and brand of paint that you go and pay for it, with the contractor's discount, which is given by Sherwin-Williams and most paint companies. Then you will know how much paint you purchased and the coverage. If it is possible, inspect the work of the painter daily.

To begin, move everything out of the room. Every painter we spoke with had a horror story about the time he didn't follow Rule No. 1. Bigger pieces of furniture can sometimes be left covered in the center of larger rooms, but if you are repairing drywall, says Chris Span, of Span's Quality Painting in Mobile, Alabama, "Take everything out. Drywall dust goes everywhere." Remove doors, light fixtures and hardware, and label everything with masking tape. Also, invest in drop cloths. "It's surprising how well a few drops of paint can cover a floor," says Rich Maceyunas, of Maceyunas Painting and Wallpaper in Waterbury, Connecticut. Buy high-quality drop cloths, such as canvas or paper-backed plastic. (Paint soaks right through lightweight fabrics and bedsheets.) Plastic sheeting works, but it's very slippery and doesn't absorb drips.
So sad that Angie's List requires the contractor be notified!! They have lost me as a client. If I'm dissatisfied and want to give an "F" rating (question/workers...I SHOULD NOT be intimidated into passing up an opportunity to explain my experience! There is NO WAY my contractor got an Aplus rating from over five hundred people....so someone was lying....yet I can't report that without the contractor knowing it? REALLY?
Considering the size of these rooms, one would assume that painting them is quite inexpensive. Sometimes it is inexpensive but more often than not, it is not the case. The reason is mostly because of the more detailed work in tight spaces. Painting around bathtubs, light fixtures and cabinets takes a lot of time and careful brushwork. Getting up close and personal with a stranger’s toilet and painting behind it takes a certain “je ne sais quoi”. In a laundry room the difficulty depends on how the washer and dryer are installed and if the painter needs to move them to access the walls behind them.
Most of the time, the reality is different. Painting the bulkheads around cabinets is alone more time consuming than painting an entire wall. We dread having to move the appliances and paint behind them. Moving an older fridge is like opening a Pandora’s box. Sometimes the wheels are broken and the refrigerator may damage the floor. Other times, the surfaces behind the appliances are greasy or dusty. In a small kitchen, there isn’t much room and working behind the appliances is uncomfortable. For all the reasons that were mentioned, pricing a kitchen is unpredictable. A range of $280 to $450 should cover most possibilities.
Safest way to ensure that everything is fair is to get it ALL in writing , signed by both parties. Specify each item that needs repair. Also, BUY the paint YOURSELF. That way, there is no incentive to water it down, and you KNOW that you are getting the grade/quality you actually purchased. Don't be penny wise and pound foolish; if you are paying to hire a painter, buy the best paint that you can afford, to ensure maximum life of this home improvement.
I am a painting contractor and have been since 2001. Make sure the estimate provides in writing: What is EXCLUDED as well as INCLUDED. It should state the manufacturer and type of paint going to be used. Estimate says ALL LABOR AND MATERIALS. My estimates to my customers say "guaranteed coverage" eliminates the conversations of 1 coat vs 2 coat. I have my customers submit colors 5 days prior to start date. Customers need to inform me if they are going to use pure white, dark reds, oranges, and bright yellows they need to inform me in that 5 day window, so I can adjust my pricing for 3 coats. Although this more uncommon now than years past because a lot of paint manufacturers have primer with paint products. Let the contractor know if your doing accent walls. This takes longer to cut in straight lines and it requires the contractor to purchase more paint. If you add anything on the scope of work have the painter write out the description and cost prior to them doing the work. Have the estimate say how many days it will take to perform the work. Ask how many workers will be doing the job. Make sure to enforce that number of workers their everyday until the job is complete. Do not give final payment until you do a final walk through. Walk the job when its almost complete and point out areas that you want fixed prior to the contractors final walk through. Its best to do while the workers are still in that particular area as they will have tarps down and areas covered and it will be easier for them to take care of. Purchase a roll of blue tape and stick it to areas that you want fixed. This is called a punch list.
You’ll easily find the best interior paint colors for your home, from the top brands, here online and at your local Home Depot. Our knowledgeable store associates can help you color-match paint from almost any brand to get the shade of your desire. We’ve also got you covered on all the essential painting supplies, including paint brushes, tarps, drop cloths, plastic sheeting and more.
Most of us can do an okay job of painting a room. But a seasoned professional does a great job. Obviously, pros have more experience than the average homeowner, but they also know techniques and tricks that make them better painters. We asked six pro painters to share those secrets. They probably kept a few tips to themselves, but they provided us with more than enough to help you work more efficiently and get better results. Some of what you'll read may surprise you. For instance, their secrets won't cut painting time. Painters spend two to four days on an average-size room. That's how long it takes to prep, prime and paint correctly. It's more work, but when you stand back to admire the results, you'll agree it's time well spent.
As you walk through your lighted rooms (preferably day light) see if the new coat has light spots showing the precious paint. This is call "bleeding through". This means that there's only one coat of paint or the paint was diluted or the trasition of colors were from light to dark (or the other way around) and primer was not use or the painter is inexperienced.
Carole, you raise an excellent point that should be included in this list. Any contractor coming on to your property should provide you with a Certificate of Insurance from his agent showing evidence of Commercial General Liability and Workers Comp. Without these protections in place, an attorney for a contractor's worker or a 3rd party injured in the course of the work on your property will name YOU in a lawsuit. It's a minor inconvenience up front to ask for this documentation compared to the cost of litigation when something goes wrong.

The article and comments were great information to have before deciding how to go about getting a painting job done. I think the important point is that there are several key choices (who to do the work; color, sheen, quality, of paint; how many coats; amount of prep/repairs to be done and by whom, how long the job will take, provisions for changes, how detailed the contract needs to be; advanced deposit/progress payments/final payment; final inspection, etc.) that need to be made and it requires advanced research and planning in order to become well enough informed to make the right choices. Then it requires spending sufficient time to check materials and inspect the quality of the work while it is on-going, raher than waiting to do it all at the end. President Reagan's philosophy of "Trust, but verify." applies.

Your small home is the perfect spot for a sunny little kitchen. A warm yellow like Benjamin Moore's Hawthorne Yellow would look great with white cabinets, subway tile walls, and a weathered gray tile floor. The secret to choosing the right yellow paint color for your small kitchen is to sample light yellow colors first, then increase the intensity if you don't get the look you want right away.
When hiring a contractor it is always best to hire one who is personally referred to you by someone you trust. Hiring through ads or phone book is hit and miss. Check with your local paints stores, they know the good guys from the bottom feeders. Go to the stores that sell the high quality paints like Benjamin Moore(nonpareil), Pittsburg, Sherwin Williams or Glidden. Don't go the the big box stores for referrals, the people there don't know squat!
Warline Painting Ltd. not only lived up to their Company Philosophy to deliver an end result that exceeds customer expectations but also all the work of other contractors we have used. Extremely professional throughout, from the commitment to starting time, meticulous repair work, excellent staff and clean up each day. We are extremely pleased and have let others know.
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Warline Painting is definitely a service quality company. We are extremely pleased with the interior painting work they did and have already recommended them to neighbours. The initial visit and orientation by Warren and Tyler was what sold us on choosing Warline as they explained everything about the process in detail so we knew what to expect. Their carpenter Jim was a surprise bonus as he repaired and improved a number of areas in our house that needed to be addressed before painting could begin and he did a wonderful job. The whole team was a joy to get to know. Thank you so much Warline for doing a terrific job!

Painting interior walls is a task better accomplished with foam rollers, because they are easy to use and can evenly cover large surface areas quickly. Foam rollers and brushes should never be overloaded with paint, as it can create drips, uneven coverage and can take longer to dry. It’s easy to get frustrated when the paint is fresh and does not look like a photo from the paint catalog, but remember: that’s something that usually happens after the second coat dries.